Innovations and Business Management (5 cr)

Objectives (course unit)

Learning outcomes of the course:
The course provides a theoretical overview and the tools for creating innovations for profitable business. Using service creation as a tool, it provides insights of product and services development process and the positioning of innovation into right marketplace. Also, creating a reasonable business model and basics of ensuring the intellectual property rights (IPR’s) are discussed.

After completing the course, students will be able to:
• Understand the different aspects of innovation, and its role in developing a business
• Recognize, assess and suggests solutions for supporting organizations innovation performance
• Apply innovation theories and practices in a variety of business settings
• Evaluate the business feasibility of innovations, products and services
• Understand the product and service design process phases
• Identify the critical phases of product and service design projects

Content (course unit)

How to foster innovations?
How to develop products and services from innovations?
What are intellectual property rights and how to ensure them?
How to evaluate project business feasibility?

Prerequisites (course unit)

-

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

The student can name different aspects of innovation, and their role in developing a business. He/she can recognise solutions for supporting an organisation’s innovation performance. The student is able to apply innovation theories and practices in a variety of business settings. He/she can evaluate the business feasibility of innovations, products and services. The student recognises the different phases in the product and service design process.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

The student is familiar with the different aspects of innovation, and their role in developing and growing a business. He/she can recognise and assess solutions for supporting an organisation’s innovation performance. The student understands the strategies most effective for exploiting innovations. The student is able to apply innovation theories and practices in a variety of business settings. He/she can evaluate the business feasibility of innovations, products and services. The student can plan, implement and assess the different phases of the product and service design process. He/she can identify critical phases of product and service design projects.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

The student has in-depth understanding of the different aspects of innovation, and their role in developing and growing a business. He/she can recognise, assess and advocate the most suitable solutions for improving an organisation's innovation performance. The student can develop and implement the most effective strategies for exploiting innovations. The student is able to implement innovation theories into practice in a variety of business settings. He/she can boost the business feasibility of innovations, products and services. The student can plan, implement and assess the different phases of the product and service design process. He/she can tackle critical phases of product and service design projects.

Location and time

The course starts online (ZOOM) on April 30 at 2:15pm and ends October 11. There are altogether 9 contact teaching sessions. The students are recommended to attend because they will write a learning diary of the topics discussed in the classes.

Exam schedules

There's no exam. The course evaluation is based on the individual learning diary and 1-2 team/pair exercises. Upgrading of the final grade is possible with an extra assignment which must be discussed with the instructors.

Assessment methods and criteria

Individual learning diary
Team assignments
Active participation in the contact sessions and teamwork.
More detailed assessment criteria will be given in the first contact session.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

The course will be delivered online using Tuni Moodle. Live sessions will be held via Zoom.

Learning materials

Kim, W.Chan & Mauborgne, Renee: Blue Ocean Strategy or Blue Ocean Shift
Selected articles available in Moodle

Student workload

The course is worth 5 credits, which means a total workload of 135 hours. Contact teaching is appr. 27 hours and the rest is students' independent work.

Content scheduling

During the two first weeks of the course there will be two contact sessions / week, and after that 1 session / week. During the 3rd week the course "Consultation Projects" will start. It is the practical part of the study module where the learnings of this course will be implemented.

Completion alternatives

None

Further information

Teachers:
Sven Rassl and Tuula Andersson